“FORE!!!”

“Fore!”, originally a Scottish interjection, is used to warn anyone standing or moving in the flight of a golf ball. It is also what my son Jay has taken to yelling every time he tries to hit the golf ball, even if there is not a soul in sight. EVERY TIME! And every time as he checks his grip on the club, makes sure his knees are slightly bent and takes a practice swing; he looks out towards the black and white flag way out on the green with a look of determination that fills my soul with hope and love.

It’s summer and while we are enjoying the lazy starts to the day, a slower a pace and no homework… it takes its toll on us, or perhaps I should say it takes its toll on me! I have become the Nag Hag the ogre that insists that my children actually put on clothes and put the electronics away and do something else. But trying NEW things, especially physical things that may actually make the boy sweat, is not an easy concept to sell. In a moment of desperation I told Jay that any sport he wanted to try I would allow him… ANY, as long as it was outside and not just on the Xbox or computer screen. Jay thought for a second, then smiled evilly and then with an evil smirk said, “I would like to learn to play golf! I know its expensive though so I understand if I can’t. And since that is the only sport I want to try to play well I guess I will go back to my game now.” he said all matter of fact like.

Well played boy, but not so fast!

I was not about to concede without at least putting up a good fight. I began to look for an instructor who would be able to keep my boy’s attention, challenge him but not so much that he would get frustrated, who would be patient and kind and most of all who would “get” my boy. It wasn’t easy but I found Mr. C and he is all that and he has computerized software that analyzes his swing and movements; which even won Jay over.

So what started off as a request that he thought would never happen and thus he would be left alone, has turned into weekly lessons. But here is the thing… it has become so much more than getting my boy out of the house and exercising… he is really enjoying it.

We are not golf people. I never played before and honestly I never had the desire to. It seemed well… rather boring to me. Sure I enjoy a good round of miniature golf with the kids from time to time but to actually play the real game… YAWN. And while I am still not completely sold on the game, watching my boy learn to play it has become one of my all time favorite things to do.

Every time he yells, “FORE” as a way of letting others know he is about to hit a ball, to me it is as if he is shouting to the world, “Hey look out here I come, and anything is possible!”

Sure in life there will be sand traps or bunkers or a lake he thinks he cannot no matter how hard he tries to get over… but hopefully he will just remember to yell “FORE” a little louder and remember that every day is a new game, a new chance to hit the ball farther than he did the day before!

Want to have your heart fill with hope and love too? Check out my boy in action practicing in our backyard yelling “FORE!”